1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic performance device which facilitates preparation of pattern data.
2. Prior Art
Automatic performance devices in general are constructed such that automatic performance is carried out by playing back in a parallel or simultaneous manner performance data for respective musical instruments recorded on a plurality of tracks, whereby musical tones are sounded like an ensemble of a mixture of a plurality of musical instrument tones.
It generally requires much labor and time to prepare data for automatic performance and record them onto tracks. To reduce the labor and time, conventionally parts of a music which are repeatedly performed are recorded onto a pattern track which is provided separately from other tracks, and in automatic performance performance data recorded on the pattern track are repeatedly read out for performance, while musical tones of the performance data are suitably varied according to a chord selected during performance.
However, according to the conventional pattern recording, performance patterns to be recorded have to be reedited into a predetermined chord (e.g. Cmaj7) before being input to the automatic performance device for recording, as disclosed, e.g. by Japanese Provisional Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 61-292689 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,383 corresponding thereto. This requires a very complicated input operation even for a skilled player with profound musical knowledge, and it is almost impossible for a beginner to set performance patterns as desired.
Moreover, it is impossible for those who are not proficient in performance technique to input performance patterns by means of realtime performance. Therefore, in general, performance patterns are input in a stepwise manner, i.e. musical tone data of performance patterns are input one by one. However, according to this stepwise inputting, the player cannot ascertain the performance patterns through reproduction thereof before they are recorded onto the track, which makes the editing or correcting operation difficult to carry out.